Knitted hosiery toe



Nov. 15, 1938. w. ROESENER 2 KNITTED HOSIERY TOE Filed Nov. 30, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. f/fli'l 7 ,5 BY J W 30136210:

A ORNEY.

Nov. 15, 1938. H. w. ROESENER 2,136,892

KNITTED HOSIERY TOE Filed Nov. 30, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 f i 4/ Warsaw:

ATTORNEY.

wearing quality to Patented Nov. 15, 1938 rnvrr'rnn nosmay TOE Barry W. Roesener, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Merchantville Hosiery Company,

ville, N. J.

Merchant- Application November 30, 1936, Serial No. 113,416 11 Claims. (01. 66-182) The present invention relates to hosiery made on full fashioned knitting machines, and more particularly to a toe for full fashioned stockings and the method of knitting the same.

The invention primarily. aims to provide a method of knitting the toe section of full fashioned hosiery whereby the toe may be made with the commonly knownand used legger equipment, that is, without necessitating the use of pairs of narrowing combs and the complicated, involved narrowing and transferring mechanism of a footer machine.

As is generally known in the art, the foot narrowings are such that four narrowing combs are required for each knitting section of the machine, two large combs and two small combs. The large combs are used on the outer edge portions of the fabric to narrow and shape the same, while the small combs act on the intermediate portions, the associated combs being relatively operated through the double action of the narrowing mechanism of a footer to form the so-called toe gores and diamond points which heretofore have been deemed necessary to properly fashion the The present invention has for one of its main objects the provision of a full fashioned hosiery toe construction that may be properly shaped by means of large combs alone thus permitting the knitting of the foot on a legger machine which, as well known, is of greatly simplified structure in comparison with the footer machine.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a toe construction embodying a plurality of fabrics knitted from yarns reinforced to different degrees and. separated by interposed fabric panels knitted from anunreinforced relativelylight body yarn, whereby it is possible to incorporate in the hosiery toe a toe patch reinforced to a muchgreater extent than is practically possible in ordinary full fashioned hosiery now on the market, thereby imparting an increased the hosiery toe section.

It is also an important feature of the invention to provide a full fashioned hosiery toe section which may be heavily reinforced without danger of subjecting theparts of the knitting machine, such as the needles and narrowing points, to excessive stresses, which may cause distortion or breakage of such parts, the construction of the toe being such that the possibility of accidental occurrence of drop -loops and the formation of 1 runs in the toe part while the same is being knitted are practically eliminated.

Another meritorious feature of the invention method of knitting the toe that is to say, the fashioning lines contemplates the provision of a hosiery toe section wherein the transferred loops throughout the major portion of said section are in engagement with loops disposed in the same wales so that the fashioning lines for the'greater portion of their lengths extend walewise of the fabric, with the result that several wales adjacent to and paralleling said fashioning lines may be knitted from a relatively light yarn for the purpose of imparting an increased elasticity to the fabric.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. a

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have, in the accompanying drawings, and in the detailed description based thereupon, set out a possible embodiment of the In these drawings:

finished stocking constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows a portion of the foot including the toe section of the stocking blank.

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged diagrammatic representation showing the knitted structure of a fashioned portion of the toe section.

Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates the method of making the stocking toe section in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the toe section in which the courses are designated by horizontal lines; the wales by vertical lines; the narrowings by crosses; and the loops by dots.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference willdesignate corresponding parts throughout, I have shown in Figure 1 a full fashioned stocking I which comprises the welt 2, the leg portion 3 and the foot portion 4 including the heel 5, sole 6, and

toe 1. The welt 2, leg}, and foot 4 with its heel 5 and sole 6 are of the usual construction and, therefore, need not be described herein.

As previously stated, this invention has to do with improvements in the construction and section I, which will now be described in detail.

In the drawings, particularly Figure 2, it will appear that the toe section 1, that is, the portion of the blank represented between the lines A--A and B--B, consists of a pair of side fabrics 8 and 9 respectively,- and an intermediate fabric or toe patch l0, said fabrics 8, 9, and Ill being defined by the fashioning lines ll extending walewise of the toe fabric for the major portion of their length,

H extend wale- 55 wise of the fabric to the point indicated by the dotted line 0-0.

Disposed adjacent to, and paralleling each I said wales constituting unreinforced fabric panels I5 separating the heavy reinforced intermediate fabric ID from the The method of knitting the stocking having the toe construction .above described W11] be more.

pose of shaping the fabric. It will appear, particularly from Figures 3 and 5, that the shaping of the fabric is bad by transferring inwardly of the fabric'those loops'designated by the reference ing courses I8 normally disposed in the side fabrics 8 and 9. Preferably, the loops 20 are transferred the distance of two wales, although it is to be understood that said loops may be transferred for a greater or lesser distance, as preference or necessity may dictate.

that the loops 2| in the-intermediate section III I6 and a .rela- I6 and is same weight, but of a heavier weight than the body yarn I61 The carrier II is disposed to reciprocatc over one of the side fabrics, for instance 8 as indicated by the arrow G, whereas the carrier III is adapted to reciprocate over the other of said side fabrics, that is, the fabric 9 as indicated by the arrow H. I

The fourth and last carrier, designated by the reference character IV and, for convenience, called the auxiliary reinforcing carrier, is threadrepresented by the arrow J.

With the carriers arranged in the manner aforesaid, it will over said fabric so that there is formed a series of greatly reinforced wales I 42) covering the entire width of said intermediate fabric II].

After the simultaneous laying of the yarns I6 panel I5, after which the main carrier I and the main reinforcing carrier III move in unison to lay their respective yarns I6 and I1 for the formation of that series of wales I4c constituting the side fabric 9.

sisting of relnforced end rows of loops made from the body yarn I6 and the reinforcing yarn I1, a reinforced intermediate row of loops made from the body yarn I6 and the heavy reinforcspaced selvedges 24 inforced panels I5.

After the various yarns have been laid and knitted and 25 defining the unre- Subsequent to the transfer operation, I laying movement of the carriers is resumed and yarns are again laid and knitted to form the succeeding course in the same manner as above described, with the exception that the carriers travel in the opposite direction, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow E in Figure 4.

At the completion of this latter course, however, no transfer of loops takes place so that a plain course is knitted in alternation with the narrowing courses. At this point, attention is called tothe fact that one or more additional plain courses maybe knitted between each narrowing course if the insertion of such additional courses is found preferable or necessary to provide the proper or required amount of fabric for the formation of the toe pocket. I

It is pointed out that the laying of the separate yarns of different weights at spaced intervals during the laying of the body yarn produces a central or intermediate heavily reinforced fabric flanked by ordinary reinforced fabrics, with a panel of unreinforced fabric interposed between the heavily reinforced'and each ordinary reinforced fabric.

It will particularly appear from Figures 3 and 5, how the successive transferred courses narrow the toe section in order to fashion the fabric thereof. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the narrowing of the courses may be accomplished through the operation of the well known narrowing mechanism generally provided upon full fashioned knitting machines now in common use, which mechanism includes automatically adjustable stops controlling the length of the reciprocating strokes of the carriers.

It will also clearly appear from Figures 3 and 5 that whereas the fabric is reduced in width, the transfer of the loops in the major portion of the side fabrics 8 and 9 is not affected thereby, that is, the loops will be transferred repeatedly onto the same inner needles so that the transfer marks 22 occur in the same wales, with the result that the greater part of the fashioning lines I I created by said transfer marks, extend walewise of the toe fabric to a point (line -0) in close proximity to the tip of the stocking blank. When the blank has been knitted to the point representedby the line C-C, the narrowing is carried out in such a manner as to cause the innermost of the transferred loops in the successive narrowing courses to move step by step inwardly of the fabric and, at the same time, to shorten the relative stroke of the four carriers hereinbefore referred to so that the lines of transfer marks and the rows of unreinforced loops at the opposite side portions of the toe section gradually converge to the tip it of the blank.

Because of this constructional feature of the invention, it will be appreciated that the major portion of the wales M consisting of loops made from the relatively light body yarn extend on a straight line in the general longitudinal direction of the toe fabric, thus providing between the reinforced fabrics B and 9 and ill well defined panels it of knitted fabric, the elasticity of which is not hindered by the reinforcement of the adiacent fabrics. Consequently, the preserved elasticity of the panels l gives to the toe that degree of stretchability suihcient to assure its fit and adaptation to the foot of the wearer. Moreover, due to the presence in the toe fabric of wales of loops constructed from a -relatively light yarn with which the transferred loops are engaged, the

usual thick and conspicuous rows of overlapping transferred loops of the common toe gores are 75 eliminated. remflting in not only improving the sisting of narrowed reinforced general appearance'of the stocking, but also making it more comfortable to wear.

In concluding, I wish it to be understood that whereas I have shown and described in detail the preferred embodiment of the invention, such embodiment is capable of modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, those modifications reading in the scope of the claims are considered as part of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a hosiery toe section, a pair of reinforced side fabrics, a reinforced intermediate fabric disposed between said side fabrics, said intermediate fabric being reinforced to a greater degree than that of the side fabrics, and an unreinforced fabric panel interposed between said intermediate fabric and each side fabric.

2. In a hosiery toe section, ordinary reinforced side fabrics, a heavy reinforced fabric disposed between said side fabrics, and an unreinforced fabric panel interposed between said intermediate fabric and each side fabric.

3. In a hosiery toe section, side portions confabrics, an intermediate portion consisting of a reinforced plain fabric, and a connecting portion disposed between said intermediate portion and each side and consisting of a panel of unreinforced fabric.

4. In a knitted hosiery toe section, a plurality of courses, each course consisting of reinforced end rows of loops, a reinforced intermediate row of loops, and an unreinforced row of loops connecting said intermediate row of loops and each end row of loops.

5. In a knitted hosiery toe section, a plurality of courses, each course consisting of reinforced end rows of loops, a rein-forced intermediate row of loops, and an unreinforced row of loops connecting said intermediate row of loops and each and row of loops, the reinforced loops of the end rows being transferred from one wale to another and the reinforced loops of the intermediate row and the unreinforced connecting loops being disposed in their original wales. I

6. In a knitted hosiery toe section, a plurality of courses, each course consisting of reinforced end rows of loops, a reinforced intermediate row of loops, and an unreinforced row of loops connecting said intermediate row of loops and each end row of 1oops, said intermediate row of loops being reinforced to a greater degree than the end rows of loops.

'7. In a knitted hosiery toe section, a plurality of courses, each course consisting of reinforced end rows of loops, a" reinforced intermediate row of loops, and an unreinforced row of loops connecting said intermediate row of loops and each end row of loops, the reinforced loops of the end rows being transferred from one wale to another and the reinforced loops of the intermediate row and the unreinforced connecting loops being disposed in their original wales, said intermediate row of loops being reinforced to a greater degree than the end rows of loops.

8. In a knitted hosiery toe section, of courses. each course consisting of reinforced end rows of loops, a reinforced intermediate row of loops, and an unreinforced row of loops connecting said intermediate row of loops and each end row of loops, the loops of the end rows being transferred from one wale to another, the outermost transferred loops engaging certain of said unreinforced loops and the reinforced loops in the a plurality portion intermediate row and the unreinforced connectrows of loops in overlapping relation extending in ing loops remaining in their original wale. parallel relationship with the wales of the toe sec- 9. A knitted fabric toe section comprising: tion, each of said side fabrics having additional said side fabrics to the intermediate fabric, each uation of, and extending at an angle to, said first of said side fabrics, for the major length of the rows of loops and at an angle to the wales of the toe section, having end rows of loops arranged in toe section, to fashion the toe section.

10 overlapping interknit relation with rows of loops 11. A hosiery toe section comprising: a pair of l of its associated intervening fabric panel to outer reinforced knitted fabrics, an intermediate fashion the toe section, said rows of loops in overreinforced knitted fabric, and fashioning rows of lapping relation extending in parallel relationoverlapping loops between the fabrics, the over- 15 l0. A knitted fabric toe section comprising: being disposed in the same wales of the toe sec- 1 knitted reinforced side fabrics, a knitted reintion whereby the same will extend in parallel forced intermediate fabric, and intervening unrerelation with the wales of the toe fabric, and the inforced knitted fabric panels connecting each of overlapping loops of the remaining length of each 20 of said side fabrics, for the major length of the section to extendat an angle to, and across, cer- 21 overlapping interknit relation with rows of loops of its associated intervening fabric panel, the HARRY W. ROESENER. 

